Train-pipe connector



Jul 3, 1923. 11,460,364 7 F. BICKEL TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 2, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 msiualm H. F. BICKEL TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR July 3, 1923.

Filed Feb. 2, 1921 2 She eis$heet 2 Patented .luly 3, 1923.

NITED STATES PATEN OFFICE.

HENRY F. BIGKEL, OF PLAINIEIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW YORK AIR BRAKE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TRAIN-PIPE CONNECTOR.

Application filed February 2, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY F. BIOKEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Train-Pipe Connectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to train pipe connectors, and particularly to a device applicable to automatic connector heads for train pipes to enable the train pipe or pipes of cars equipped with automatic connector heads to be readily connected with corresponding train pipe or pipes of cars not so equipped. The invention is useful in any case where cars equipped with automatic train pipe connector heads, and cars lacking automatic connector heads, but equipped with ordinary train pipe hose and manually operable train pipe hose couplings, are likely to be included in a single tram.

The invention is primarily intended to serve as a temporary installation on cars equipped with automatic connector heads, during the period of installation on such connector heads on old rolling stock. It is however capable of continued useas a part of the standard equipment.

Automatic connector heads are ordinarily connected to the train pipes of the corresponding car bymeans of flexible hose in order to permit the connector heads to move relatively to the car. These hose are usually permanently connected to the connector head and Whenever it has been necessary to couple a car equipped with an automatic connector head to a car equipped with the ordinary train pipe hose and train pipe hose couplings, recourse has been had to an adapter. This is clamped to the end of the connector head and is provided with couplings to couple with the train pipe hose couplings of the adjacent car. This involves an extra piece of equipment not permanently attached to either car and likelyto be missing when needed.

It has also been proposed to provide a releasable connection between the automatic connector head and a flexible hose connected to the train pipe and to use as the releasable connection ordinary train pipe couplings. This arrangement has the advantage of per- Serial No. 441,861.

mitting the connection of the hose to a similar hose on an adjacent car independently of the automatic connector head, and provides is difl'icult to make and break the connection iinless an undulylong hose is used, and it is diflicult to cause the hose to hang in a free loop, a condition which is essential to dura bility. If the train pipe coupling carried by the connector head is mounted on a short length of flexible hose, as has been proposed (see reissue patent to Robinson, 13,138, July 26, 1910), the expense of installation and maintenance is unduly increased and the results are not materially better.

To secure a simple construction in Which a relatively short length of flexible hose may hang in a perfectly free loop, and in which coupling and uncoupling of the hose to the connector head aresimple operations, I so design the connector-head-carried part of the releasable coupling that its locking elehang in a natural loop, facilitatesoonnection, and permits the use of a shorter hose than could be used if it were necessary to rotate the hose-carried coupler element in the acts of connection and disconnection.

rnent is rotatable. This permits the hose to The special coupling has also the additional advantage that it includes no gasket but is capable of sealing against the gasket of a standard train pipe coupling presented thereto.

So long as the equipment of the railroad remains mixed these releasable couplings are retained, but so soon as automatic connector heads are completely installed the releasable couplings may be, and ordinarily would be,

gradually removed, permanent connection between the flexible hose and the connector headbeing substituted therefon The invention is applicable to almost any any ofvarious types of train pipe hose coupling. I have chosen, for illustration, howand Bickel, Serial No. 36l,l94=, filed FebQ26,

type of automaticconnector head. and to bracket .16 is. mounted on, the

1920. Accordingly no claims to the connec- .tolthe multiple pipe installation since this would involvemere duplication of the parts essential to my invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the draft and connector gear of two cars, showingmy invention applied to .two I automatic connector heads which are in connecting engagement with each other.

Fig. 2 is in part a section on the l1ne 22 of'Fig. 1 and in part a plan view of the connector parts.

' Fig. 31s a iew s milar to Flg. 1 showlng how a car equipped with an automatic coupler head, and'fitted with my present 1nvention is connected with a car equipped with an ordinary-train pipe hose and train pipe hose coupling. Fig. 4 is a side viewpartly in elevation and partly in section of the special fitting which I mounton the automatic connector head.

, Fig. 5 is an. end view of the fitting shown in Fig. 4.

Automatic draw heads or couplers forming parts of the draft rigging of two railway cars are indicated at 11. .Automatic connector heads are illustrated at 12. Each of these isprovided with offset guiding fingers 13 and is mounted by means of its yoke 14 and thrust spring .15 on a corresponding supporting bracket 16. Each supporting corresponding coupler head 11 so that the connector head 12 is below the coupler head ll and is capableof limited relative lateral and vertical swinging movements,

and of longitudinal sliding movements which: are opposed by the spring 15.

The face of each connector head 12 between the fingers 13 is formed with orifices which is with the coupling 28 connected to the under theguiding and alining action of the fingers 13 will register with corresponding rorifices in the opposed-head 12 when the cars are coupled together. Gaskets surrounding these orifices serve, under the pressure exerted by the springs 15 of the two heads 12, to' seal the oints between the heads 12.

Qonnector headsof the general type above described are knowntothose skilled in the art and it is deemed unnecessary. to describe their construction and action in detail.

The train pipes are shown at 17 and are provided with the usual angle cocks 18. The angle cook 18 in cars equipped with automatic connector heads is connected in any suitable manner to the flexible hose 19 whose function is .to .connect..the-angle. cock with aported boss20 in the coupler head. The port of boss 20 leads to a corresponding one of the connecting orifices in the face of the head. The present practice is to connect the hose 19 permanently to the port of boss 20 in the side of the connector head 12.

Instead of making such a permanent connection I provide a curved tubular body or fitting 21 which is screwed intoboss 20, (see Fig. 2). I The fitting 21terminates at its outer end in a flange 22behind which is swiveled a ring 23held by a retaining ring 24 (see Fig. 4). The ring 23 has aseetor flange 25 which is inclined or beveled and at its opposite side the ring has an over hanging lug 26. The ring 23 may be turned about the fitting 21 by means of a handle 27 rigidly connected thereto.

The flexible hose 19 isprovi-ded at the end remote from angle cook 18 with a train pipe coupling .28 of any ordinary form. It includes a sector beveled flange 29 and an overhanging lug 30 (see 1) to connect the coupler 28 to thefitting 21. i

To make the connection, handle '27 is thrown to the position shown in Fig. 3. The coupling 28 is then presented ,to the open end of the fitting. 21 so that the gasket which forms a .part of such standard couplings seats against the fl ange'22. The handle 27 is then turned in a clockwise direction (with reference to Figs. 1 and 3), which causes the flange .25 and lug 26 of the ring 23 to engage the lug 30 and flange 29 of the train pipe coupling 28 and then draw the coupling into sealing engagement with the flange 22 of fitting 21. The coupling 28 may bereleased by turningthe handle 27 in reverse direction.

It will be observed that the coupling 28 is not moved during this operation and may assume its own angular position so that hose 19 may be made relatively short and yet may hang in a smoothly curved loop. This is important from an operating standpoint. 1 i

The ordinaryarrangement of the device fitting 21. This is shown in Figs. .1 and 2. WVhen a car so equipped is coupled with a the coupling 28 is released from the 'jfitting 21 and is connected directlyto train pipe hose coupling a duplicatethereof and which is 'the standard'fittingffor use on train pipe hose. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 3. This coupling operation is performed in the usual manner i. a; by placcar having an ordinary train pip'e hose31 (instead of an automatic connector head) ing the apertured faces of the couplings together and then swinging them relatively to each other to interengage their lugs and flanges. They may be uncoupled manually by a reverse manipulation, and will separate automatically if the train parts.

As has been stated connector head 12 is capable of making connections for each of a plurality of train pipes and it is to be understood that the fitting 21 and train pipe coupling 28 would be duplicated for each additional train pipe 17 and hose 19. It is obvious also that in case of disablement of an automatic connector head 12 the couplings 28 might be directly connected With each other thus establishing a connection between the train pipes 17 of adjacent cars entirely independently of the automatic connector heads.

The invention is applicable to any number of train pipes and to various different types of automatic heads and train pipe couplings. It does not involve the use of any detached accessory parts and offers means to revert temporarily to the old method of train pipe coupling in case difliculty is encountered with the automatic connector heads. From that point of view it is useful in the specific form shown, or a minor modification thereof, as a permanentfpart of automatic connector head installations.

(l) The cou nect automatically if the train parts. The use of the term implies the presence of these well known functions.

What is claimed is 1. The combination of a train-pipe; a hose connected thereto at one of its ends; a trainpipe hose coupling connected to the other end of said hose; an automatic connector head; and swiveled clamping means on said head for releasably connecting said train pipe hose coupling thereto to establish comand operable to engage and hold a trainpipe hose coupling in said face.

4:. The combination with an automatic sealing relation with connector head of a connecting device,

mounted onsaid head, and comprising a body having an apertured sealing faceand a locking member movably mounted on said body and operable to engage and hold a train pipe hose coupling in sealingrelation with said face and in various angular positions relatively thereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY F. BICKEL. 

